1
|
Kragel PA, Treadway MT, Admon R, Pizzagalli DA, Hahn EC. A mesocorticolimbic signature of pleasure in the human brain. Nat Hum Behav 2023; 7:1332-1343. [PMID: 37386105 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-023-01639-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Pleasure is a fundamental driver of human behaviour, yet its neural basis remains largely unknown. Rodent studies highlight opioidergic neural circuits connecting the nucleus accumbens, ventral pallidum, insula and orbitofrontal cortex as critical for the initiation and regulation of pleasure, and human neuroimaging studies exhibit some translational parity. However, whether activation in these regions conveys a generalizable representation of pleasure regulated by opioidergic mechanisms remains unclear. Here we use pattern recognition techniques to develop a human functional magnetic resonance imaging signature of mesocorticolimbic activity unique to states of pleasure. In independent validation tests, this signature is sensitive to pleasant tastes and affect evoked by humour. The signature is spatially co-extensive with mu-opioid receptor gene expression, and its response is attenuated by the opioid antagonist naloxone. These findings provide evidence for a basis of pleasure in humans that is distributed across brain systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Philip A Kragel
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Michael T Treadway
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Roee Admon
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Diego A Pizzagalli
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Evan C Hahn
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Chen J, Zhao M, Huang L, Liu Y, Li X, Jia X, Ding Q, Wang C, Liang P. Amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation after taste exposure revealed by resting-state fMRI. Physiol Behav 2023; 261:114091. [PMID: 36669692 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2022] [Revised: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Taste perception has been deeply explored from the behavioural level to delineating neural mechanisms. However, most previous studies about the neural underpinnings of taste perception have focused on task-related brain activation. Notably, evidence indicates that task-induced brain activation often involves interference from irrelevant task materials and only accounts for a small fraction of the brain's energy consumption. Investigation of the resting-state spontaneous brain activity would bring us a comprehensive understanding of the neural mechanism of taste perception. Here we acquired resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data from twenty-two participants immediately after they received sweet, sour and tasteless gustatory stimulation. Our results showed that, in contrast to the tasteless condition, the sour exposure induced decreased amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) in the somatosensory cortex in the left post-central gyrus, and the sweet exposure led to increased ALFF in the bilateral putamen involved in reward processing. Moreover, in contrast to the sweet stimulation condition, the sour stimulation condition showed increased ALFF in the right superior frontal gyrus, which has been linked to functioning in high-order cognitive control. Altogether, our data indicate that taste exposure may affect the spontaneous functional activity in brain regions, including the somatosensory areas, reward processing areas and high-order cognitive functioning areas. Our findings may contribute to a further understanding the neural network and mechanisms after taste exposure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jie Chen
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education, Hubei University, Wuhan, China; Brain and Cognition Research Center, Faculty of Education, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Mengqi Zhao
- School of Teacher Education, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China; Key Laboratory of Intelligent, Education Technology and Application of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
| | - Lina Huang
- Imaging Department, Changshu No. 2 People's Hospital (the Clinical Medical College Affiliated to Xuzhou Medical University), Changshu, China
| | - Yuansheng Liu
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education, Hubei University, Wuhan, China; Brain and Cognition Research Center, Faculty of Education, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xueying Li
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education, Hubei University, Wuhan, China; Brain and Cognition Research Center, Faculty of Education, Hubei University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xize Jia
- School of Teacher Education, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China; Key Laboratory of Intelligent, Education Technology and Application of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
| | - Qingguo Ding
- Imaging Department, Changshu No. 2 People's Hospital (the Clinical Medical College Affiliated to Xuzhou Medical University), Changshu, China.
| | - Chunjie Wang
- Institute of Brain Science and Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Pei Liang
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education, Hubei University, Wuhan, China; Brain and Cognition Research Center, Faculty of Education, Hubei University, Wuhan, China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Farruggia MC, Pellegrino R, Scheinost D. Functional Connectivity of the Chemosenses: A Review. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:865929. [PMID: 35813269 PMCID: PMC9257046 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.865929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Functional connectivity approaches have long been used in cognitive neuroscience to establish pathways of communication between and among brain regions. However, the use of these analyses to better understand how the brain processes chemosensory information remains nascent. In this review, we conduct a literature search of all functional connectivity papers of olfaction, gustation, and chemesthesis, with 103 articles discovered in total. These publications largely use approaches of seed-based functional connectivity and psychophysiological interactions, as well as effective connectivity approaches such as Granger Causality, Dynamic Causal Modeling, and Structural Equation Modeling. Regardless of modality, studies largely focus on elucidating neural correlates of stimulus qualities such as identity, pleasantness, and intensity, with task-based paradigms most frequently implemented. We call for further "model free" or data-driven approaches in predictive modeling to craft brain-behavior relationships that are free from a priori hypotheses and not solely based on potentially irreproducible literature. Moreover, we note a relative dearth of resting-state literature, which could be used to better understand chemosensory networks with less influence from motion artifacts induced via gustatory or olfactory paradigms. Finally, we note a lack of genomics data, which could clarify individual and heritable differences in chemosensory perception.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael C. Farruggia
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States,*Correspondence: Michael C. Farruggia,
| | | | - Dustin Scheinost
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States,Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale School of Engineering and Applied Science, New Haven, CT, United States,Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States,Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Yeung AWK. Differences in Brain Responses to Food or Tastants Delivered with and Without Swallowing: a Meta-analysis on Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) Studies. CHEMOSENS PERCEPT 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12078-022-09299-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
|
5
|
Malfeito-Ferreira M. Fine wine flavour perception and appreciation: Blending neuronal processes, tasting methods and expertise. Trends Food Sci Technol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tifs.2021.06.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
|
6
|
Yang AK, Mendoza JA, Lafferty CK, Lacroix F, Britt JP. Hippocampal Input to the Nucleus Accumbens Shell Enhances Food Palatability. Biol Psychiatry 2020; 87:597-608. [PMID: 31699294 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Revised: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Insight into the neural basis of hedonic processing has come from studies of food palatability in rodents. Pharmacological manipulations of the nucleus accumbens shell (NAcSh) have repeatedly been demonstrated to increase hedonic taste reactivity, yet the contribution of specific NAcSh circuit components is unknown. METHODS Bidirectional optogenetic manipulations were targeted to the principal NAcSh projection neurons and afferent pathways in mice during free feeding assays. Number of licks per bout of consumption was used as a measure of food palatability as it was confirmed to track sucrose concentration and subjective flavor preferences. RESULTS Photoinhibition of NAcSh neurons, whether general or cell-type specific, was found to alter consumption without affecting its hedonic impact. Among the principal excitatory afferent pathways, we showed that ventral hippocampal (vHipp) input alone enhances palatability upon low-frequency photostimulation time-locked to consumption. This enhancement in palatability was independent of opioid signaling and not recapitulated by NAcSh or dopamine neuron photostimulation. We further demonstrated that vHipp input photostimulation is sufficient to condition a flavor preference, while its inhibition impedes sucrose-driven flavor preference conditioning. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate a novel contribution of vHipp-NAcSh pathway activity to palatability that may relate to its innervation of a particular region or neuronal ensemble in the NAcSh. These findings are consistent with the evidence that vHipp-NAcSh activity is relevant to the pathophysiology of anhedonia and depression as well as the increasing appreciation of hippocampal involvement in people's food pleasantness ratings, hunger, and weight.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Angela K Yang
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jesse A Mendoza
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Christopher K Lafferty
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Franca Lacroix
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jonathan P Britt
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Canna A, Prinster A, Cantone E, Ponticorvo S, Russo AG, Di Salle F, Esposito F. Intensity-related distribution of sweet and bitter taste fMRI responses in the insular cortex. Hum Brain Mapp 2019; 40:3631-3646. [PMID: 31066980 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Revised: 03/30/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The human gustatory cortex analyzes the chemosensory properties of tastants, particularly the quality, intensity, and affective valence, to determine whether a perceived substance should be ingested or rejected. Among previous studies, the spatial distribution of taste intensity-related activations within the human insula has been scarcely addressed. To spatially characterize a specialized or distributed nature of the cortical responses to taste intensities, a functional magnetic resonance imaging study was performed at 3 T in 44 healthy subjects where sweet and bitter tastants were administered at five increasing concentrations and cortex-based factorial and parametric analyses were performed. Two clusters in the right middle-posterior and left middle insula were found specialized for taste intensity processing, exhibiting a highly nonlinear profile across concentrations. Multiple clusters were found activated by sweet and bitter taste stimuli at most concentrations, in the anterior, middle-posterior, and inferior portion of the bilateral insula. Across these clusters, respectively, for the right and left insula, a superior-to-inferior and an anterior-to-posterior spatial gradient for high-to-low concentrations were observed for the most responsive intensity of both tastes. These findings may gather new insights regarding how the gustatory cortex is spatially organized during the perceptual processing of taste intensity for two basic tastants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Antonietta Canna
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, Scuola Medica Salernitana, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy
| | - Anna Prinster
- Biostructure and Bioimaging Institute, National Research Council, Naples, Italy
| | - Elena Cantone
- Section of ENT, Department of Neuroscience, Federico II University, Naples, Italy
| | - Sara Ponticorvo
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, Scuola Medica Salernitana, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy
| | - Andrea Gerardo Russo
- Department of Political, Social and Communication Sciences, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy
| | - Francesco Di Salle
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, Scuola Medica Salernitana, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy.,Department of Diagnostic Imaging, University Hospital San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi D'Aragona, Salerno, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Esposito
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, Scuola Medica Salernitana, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy.,Department of Diagnostic Imaging, University Hospital San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi D'Aragona, Salerno, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
fMRIPrep: a robust preprocessing pipeline for functional MRI. Nat Methods 2018; 16:111-116. [PMID: 30532080 PMCID: PMC6319393 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-018-0235-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1395] [Impact Index Per Article: 232.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 10/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Preprocessing of functional MRI (fMRI) involves numerous steps to clean and standardize data before statistical analysis. Generally, researchers create ad-hoc preprocessing workflows for each new dataset, building upon a large inventory of tools available. The complexity of these workflows has snowballed with rapid advances in acquisition and processing. We introduce fMRIPrep, an analysis-agnostic tool that addresses the challenge of robust and reproducible preprocessing for fMRI data. FMRIPrep automatically adapts a best-in-breed workflow to the idiosyncrasies of virtually any dataset, ensuring high-quality preprocessing with no manual intervention. By introducing visual assessment checkpoints into an iterative integration framework for software-testing, we show that fMRIPrep robustly produces high-quality results on a diverse fMRI data collection. Additionally, fMRIPrep introduces less uncontrolled spatial smoothness than commonly used preprocessing tools. FMRIPrep equips neuroscientists with a high-quality, robust, easy-to-use and transparent preprocessing workflow, which can help ensure the validity of inference and the interpretability of their results.
Collapse
|
9
|
Activity of frontal pole cortex reflecting hedonic tone of food and drink: fNIRS study in humans. Sci Rep 2018; 8:16197. [PMID: 30385816 PMCID: PMC6212539 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-34690-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Accepted: 10/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitive and hedonic aspects of taste have been studied using different neuroimaging techniques in humans. However, the methods used are unsuitable for easy monitoring of hedonics induced by intake of foods and beverages. Here we have tried to monitor changes in oxygenated hemoglobin (oxyHb) levels in the anterior prefrontal cortex (aPFC, frontopolar cortex, Brodmann area 10) in response to intake of hedonically different edibles in healthy adults. When subjects tasted sweet and bitter solutions freely without any particular instruction, cortical activation varied greatly among subjects and between the two stimuli, and no consistent results were obtained. Subjects then ate or drank preferred (hedonically positive) and disliked (hedonically negative) edibles. Although these stimuli differed among subjects, hedonically positive stimuli decreased oxyHb, whereas hedonically negative stimuli increased oxyHb, particularly in the ventral aPFC. When subjects tasted 4 kinds of jellies with different flavors and evaluated the degree of pleasantness, oxyHb level in the ventral region correlated negatively with pleasantness score. These results revealed that pleasant and unpleasant edibles tended to elicit decreased and increased oxyHb levels, respectively, within the ventral aPFC, suggesting that monitoring of oxyHb in this region may prove useful for objective evaluation of pleasantness of food and drink.
Collapse
|
10
|
Wegman J, van Loon I, Smeets PA, Cools R, Aarts E. Top-down expectation effects of food labels on motivation. Neuroimage 2018; 173:13-24. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2017] [Revised: 02/03/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
|